Method for assembling building elements and building thus produced

ABSTRACT

The method for assembling a set of construction elements ( 1 ) comprises at least the following steps:
         a) assembling two complementary external faces of two construction elements ( 1 ) by adhesion,   b) continuing the assembly carried out in step a) by adhering other faces of the elements ( 1 ) to complementary external faces of other construction elements ( 1 ) until a predefined portion of a building or engineered structure is obtained,   c) adhering sheets ( 15, 16 ), so-called cladding sheets, made of a wood-based material to at least a portion of the coplanar faces of the elements ( 1 ) assembled in the preceding steps,   d) repeating steps a) to c) until the part is obtained.
 
The invention also relates to a building made with at least three elements assembled according to the method of the invention.

The present invention relates to a method for assembling construction elements and construction carried out in this manner.

The invention relates to any type of construction, whether public, private, commercial, industrial, agricultural, or other, regardless of the size of the construction. The term “construction” also designates engineered structures such as walkways, bridges, canopies, retaining walls, and the like.

In the field of construction, it is known to use standardized elements of the brick or breeze block type in order to construct the constituent walls of a building. These elements are fixed together by a binder such as mortar. Such a building system is long and complex. The construction of buildings using wood as the basic material has been developing in recent years. Typically, such buildings, with their so-called wood frame structure, include prefabricated wooden panels that are mounted on a preferably wooden frame.

This solution involves custom and factory production of wooden panels according to the architecture of the building to be produced, with only the assembly of the building being carried out on site. Moreover, because of the way in which the panels are joined together using metallic elements such as connectors or screws, the presence of thermal bridges in such buildings is observed. However, due to the introduction of relatively restrictive environmental standards and the obligation to construct buildings with optimized insulation and low environmental impact, it is necessary to seek out new methods of construction.

EP-A-861 587 describes a wooden box containing a body of insulating material, for example polyurethane foam. A plate-shaped member formed of a polystyrene core bonded between two layers of plywood is known from WO-A-85/04922, which was previously filed by the applicant. Cutouts made in one of the plywood faces make it possible to bend the plate it necessary. WO-A-90/00474 discloses a core comprising two materials, including a transition, to which plywood sheets are adhered. The element produced in this way has a shape that is adapted to its use, such as a corner, cylinder, or plate. These solutions require the production of elements that are specific to each building and are also difficult to implement. Wooden construction elements in the form of bricks filled with an insulating material are also known from FR-A-2952659. These elements are connected to one another by male/female-type voltage elements and by metal rods providing for tensioning of the elements stacked over the height of the walls. Such a solution is complex to implement and does not eliminate thermal bridges. Also known from WO-A-2010/047570 are brick-shaped elements that are provided with a double wall of wood and whose interior is filled with an insulating material. The connection between these elements is of the mortise-and-tenon type.

Even if they offer an advantage over traditional concrete or stone constructions, these different solutions are not easy to implement. After all, the elements require either a load-bearing structure or connecting elements, generally metallic, between the elements, which generates thermal bridges de facto. What is more, in the case of construction using wood, the presence of such thermal bridges promotes the spread of fire. Moreover, the elements do not make it possible to produce all architectural types of building by optimizing the insulation and the distribution of loads, which is costly and imposes limitations on standardized manufacturing.

In view of the foregoing, the invention aims to overcome the abovementioned drawbacks of the prior art.

To this end, it is the object of the invention to provide a method for assembling a set of construction elements, the outer walls of each element defining a receiving volume of a main body having the shape of a polyhedron with at least two parallel faces and occupying the entirety of the receiving volume, with the main body being made of a rigid insulating material formed by expanded polystyrene or EPS having a density of at least 10 kg/m³, with each of the faces of the main body being completely covered by at least one sheet made of a wood-based material, and with each sheet being adhered to the face of the main body receiving it, characterized in that it comprises at least the following steps:

-   -   a) assembling two complementary external faces of two         construction elements by adhesion,     -   b) continuing the assembly carried out in step a) by adhering         other faces of the elements to complementary external faces of         other construction elements until a predefined portion of a         building or engineered structure is obtained,     -   c) adhering sheets, so-called cladding sheets, made of a         wood-based material to at least a portion of the coplanar faces         of the elements assembled in the preceding steps,     -   d) repeating steps a) to c) until the predefined portion of the         building or engineered structure is obtained.

The invention thus achieves the objectives mentioned above.

Indeed, many geometric shapes of the main body, and hence of the element—all polyhedral—can be easily implemented in order to meet the architectural requirements involved in producing a building or component of this building such as a beam or a wall or even an engineered structure.

The invention enables simple or complex shapes of the element to be produced, provided that its main body has at least two parallel faces, all without thermal bridges, since no metallic material is used to produce and assemble the elements. The exclusive use of insulating material and wood-based sheets adhered to this material ensures the absence of thermal bridges at least without harming, if not reinforcing, the mechanical strength of the element, thereby preserving or improving the mechanical strength of the part of the building or of the building constructed from such elements. The implementation of the construction by adhesion makes it possible to preserve this absence of thermal bridges while ensuring a distribution of the loads over the entire construction. This produces a self-supporting construction with optimal load distribution, which makes a variety of shapes and/or substantial heights to be achieved.

According to advantageous but optional aspects of the invention, such a method can comprise one or more of the following steps:

-   -   after step d), in an additional step e), a sheet of a protective         and/or decorative coating is adhered to at least one of the         faces of the portion of the building or engineered structure         produced.     -   In step c), the cladding sheets are adhered to the coplanar         faces of the assembled elements so that the connecting joints         between two assembled elements are never aligned with the         connecting joints of two abutting cladding sheets.     -   Each wood-based sheet is a sheet having a thickness of at least         5 mm and made of strips of wood called Oriented Strand Board         (OSB) or plywood.     -   At least one gutter is formed in the main body of at least one         element, the gutter defining a passage for conduits and         technical ducts.

The invention also relates to a building or engineered structure, at least a portion of which is made with at least three construction elements assembled according to the inventive method of assembly, characterized in that the elements are assembled so as to define a honeycomb structure with solid cells, the outer walls of the honeycomb structure being defined by the cladding sheets.

The invention will be better understood and other advantages thereof will become clearer from the following description of several embodiments of the invention that follows, which is provided by way of non-limiting example and makes reference to the enclosed drawings, in which.

FIG. 1 is a top view of a construction element according to one embodiment of the invention, with one face being shown without a sheet in order to reveal the interior;

FIG. 2 is a view of the element of FIG. 1 in a pre-assembly configuration;

FIG. 3 illustrates, in a pre-assembly configuration, the production of a portion of a building with elements of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a schematic view of a flat wall of a building made with elements of FIG. 1, on another scale, illustrating the honeycomb configuration of this wall, with the foreside of the cladding sheets being shown with dotted lines for the sake of clarity;

FIG. 5 is a simplified perspective view of a wall of a building in progress with elements of FIG. 1;

FIGS. 6 and 7 illustrate, on the same scale, elements according to two other embodiments of the invention;

FIGS. 8 and 9 show, on the same scale, wall portions of buildings that are configured in an arc and a dome, respectively, and made with elements having two or four inclined faces, respectively, according to two other embodiments of the invention;

FIG. 10 illustrates, on another scale and in a pre-assembly configuration, the production of a portion of a beam-type building according to another embodiment of the invention using elements of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 11 is a perspective view, on another scale, of two beams of FIG. 10 assembled at right angles.

FIG. 1 illustrates a construction element 1 according to one embodiment of the invention. The element 1 is composed of a main body 2, which is partially visible in FIG. 1. The body 2 occupies the receiving volume defined by the constituent walls of the external faces of each element 1. Each element 1 thus has a geometric shape corresponding to that of the body 2 that it receives.

The body 2 is made of a rigid insulating material. Here, the term “insulating” is to be understood as relating at least to thermal insulation, it being understood that such a material may also have acoustic insulation characteristics. The insulating material is selected from among materials of plant origin, mineral origin, or synthetic origin, i.e., derived from petroleum. It must be rigid, insensitive to environmental conditions, and particularly dimensionally stable in a temperature range typically extending between −80° C. and +80° C. It must also have a shear strength of at least 40 KPa and preferably around 50 KPa. It is generally accepted that, at least for a rigid material, a relationship exists between its density and its mechanical strength: the higher the density of the material, the higher its mechanical strength. In the context of the invention, the minimum density is about 10 kg/m³, preferably between 15 kg/m³ and 25 kg/m³, advantageously about 18 kg/m³.

Therefore, in the context of the invention, the preferred (but not exclusively suitable) material for forming the body 2 is expanded polystyrene or EPS. This material also offers the advantage of being easy to produce in large quantities, at low cost, and being recyclable and easy to work with. In other words, it is possible to produce any geometric shape from a block of polystyrene. The body 2 defines not only the geometric shape of the finished element 1 but also its overall size and weight. Each of the different faces of the body 2 is covered over its entire surface by at least one sheet of a wood-based material.

Such a sheet must be substantially watertight and dustproof, fireproof, and protect the polystyrene block against any effect of puncturing or tearing. In other words, such a sheet must have a tensile strength perpendicular to its surface of at least 0.3 Newton/mm². In addition, such a sheet should not alter the insulation characteristics, at least not the thermal insulation characteristics, of the main body, and therefore should not create a thermal bridge. Consequently, such a sheet is made of plywood, for example—in medium or, in a preferred embodiment, in OSB (Oriented Strand Board), i.e., in a sheet formed of strips of wood adhered together by a resin, with a cross-layer orientation.

FIG. 2 illustrates such sheets in a pre-assembly configuration on the faces of the body 2. Each sheet 3 to 8, here of OSB, has dimensions that are complementary in terms of length and width to the respective faces 9 to 14 that are to receive them. The different sheets 3 to 8 have the same thickness here. This is at least 5 mm in order to impart a certain rigidity to the sheet, and it is generally between 10 mm and 40 mm. Advantageously, the preferred thickness is 10 mm.

In all cases, once in place on the body 2, each sheet 3 to 8 covers the entire face 9 to 14 to which it is adhered. It is necessary that no portion of the body 2 be visible on a finished element 1. An adhesive is used to ensure a permanent fixation between the sheets 3 to 8 and the body 2 over the entire surface of the contact zone between the sheet 3 to 8 and the face 9 to 14, and hence of the laces 9 to 14. This adhesive is selected from among structural adhesives based on polyurethane, epoxy, vinyl, or others, provided that such adhesive offers impact resistance and thus shear strength of at least 10 MPa and, in this case, about 16 MPa.

A construction element 1 of the sandwich composite type is thus obtained. In such a type of element, a synergistic effect is associated with materials that have structural weaknesses individually. Accordingly, the sheets 3 to 8 are particularly resistant to bending, tearing, and compression, whereas the body 2 is remarkably resistant to shearing. Element 1 combines these different features with a synergistic effect.

Elements 1 are thus obtained which have high insulation and mechanical resistance characteristics—and this for elements 1 which, preferably in the case of a rectangular regular polyhedron, are 2.50 m in length with a 0.40 m by 0.40 m section, as illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 3. Such dimensions enable walls or part of an engineered structure or buildings to be assembled quickly with few elements while offering optimal mechanical and insulation characteristics.

FIG. 3 illustrates the assembly of a plurality of elements 1 together. Such a configuration arises, for example, when assembling walls of high thickness or beam-type or pylon-type structural elements. In FIG. 3, twelve identical elements 1 are joined by adhesion in two rows of three pairs of elements 1. Each element 1 is thus adhered to three other adjoining elements 1. To achieve this, the visible faces of the sheets 3 to 8 of each element are adhered to the visible faces 3 to 8 of the other, adjoining elements. The term “visible face” denotes those faces of the sheets 3 to 8 which are not adhered to the body 2.

Two sheets 15, 16 similar to the sheets 3 to 8 in terms of the constituent material are shown in the pre-assembly position. These sheets 15, 16 are called cladding sheets. As will readily be understood, these sheets have dimensions that are suitable for covering, at least in part, the twelve elements 1 assembled in this way. For the sake of clarity, only two sheets are illustrated here, it being understood that, in some embodiments, only some of the faces of the joined elements are covered by a sheet made of a wood-based material. In other embodiments, all of the visible faces of the assembled elements are covered by sheets similar to the sheets 15, 16. In this case, it is necessary to provide six sheets in order to cover all of the visible faces of the twelve assembled elements 1, including the end faces. In a variant, the sheets used are of a different nature.

The presence of additional sheets 15, 16 in a wood-based material (here the same as that of which the sheets 3 to 8 are composed, i.e., OSB) adhered to the assembled elements 1 provide cladding for all of the elements 1. The main bodies of the elements are provided with a second covering in this way, always by adhesion, which enhances the mechanical strength of the assembled elements.

The de facto presence of a double thickness on at least some of the faces of the assembled elements in order to form a part of a building contribute to the optimization of the insulation characteristics of the building parts produced in this way. Furthermore, the adhesion of these two sheets 3 to 8 and 15, 16 induces a laminating effect, namely a synergy that gives the set of two sheets a mechanical strength that is greater than the sum of the unitary mechanical strengths of the two sheets. In any case, in order to preserve the synergy and the insulating characteristics that are evoked, the cladding sheets 15, 16 are adhered and abutted such that the connecting joints between the sheets 15, 16 are never aligned with the connecting joints between two assembled elements 1.

FIG. 4 illustrates an assembly of sixteen elements 1 to produce a wall P whose width corresponds substantially to the unitary width of the elements 1. The joint planes between the elements 1, hence the areas of adhesion, are shown in bold for the sake of clarity. It can be seen that, when a plurality of cladding sheets 15, 16 are abutted and adhered to each face 17, 18 of the wall P in order to completely cover the faces 17, 18. A wall P is obtained whose internal structure is composed of a plurality of solid blocks—here the elements 1 that are adhered together—thereby defining, de facto, a honeycomb structure whose cells are solid, with the outer walls of the structure being formed by the cladding sheets 15, 16.

It will readily be understood that, alternatively, these sheets can themselves be covered with another material, for example tiles, a plaster-type coating, paint, or a cladding paneling made of fiber cement or metal. FIG. 5 shows a simplified illustration of a wall portion M that comprises elements 1 that are stacked and adhered to one another. A cladding sheet 20 is adhered to the face 19 of the wall M and is intended to be oriented toward the outside of the finished building. A plate of an outer coating 21 is adhered to this sheet 20 in order to protect the sheet 20 from external aggressions while contributing to the mechanical properties and aesthetics of the wall M. Advantageously, the plate 21 is adhered so as to be offset from the sheet 20 so that the respective connecting joints between the abutting plates 21 and the abutting sheets 20 are not aligned. It should be noted that the first element 1, which is located at the bottom of the wall M, rests on a floating slab 22. A sealing barrier, not shown, is provided between this slab 22 and the ground in order to prevent any infiltration of moisture.

It should be noted that a wall M, and more generally a building, that is produced in this manner exhibits a building system which, with a synergistic effect, combines the advantages of a laminated wall through adhesion of wood-based panels with those of a structure of solid honeycomb walls. Indeed, a wall made by lamination has a high mechanical strength. A wall having a honeycomb structure has a high resistance to bending and deformation. Through the implementation of the elements 1 according to the method of the invention, a sandwich effect is thus achieved at each element 1 in addition to the effects indicated above. The latter has a mechanical strength that is greater than the sum of the unitary strengths of the body 2 and the sheets 3 to 8. Thus, a part of a building, a building, or an engineered structure produced according to the invention combines all of the cited advantages.

Furthermore, in addition to the absence of any thermal bridging in the construction, bracing is provided along three axes. Indeed, as can be seen from FIGS. 3 and 4 a portion of a wall, or more generally a part of the construction, is formed by a plurality of elements, each of which is connected to at least two and preferably three other elements. Each element thus provides bracing for the elements to which it is connected. What is more, the assembly is cladded by a sheet 15, 16, 20. Such a construction method makes it possible to no longer distribute the loads to riser columns and certain so-called bearing walls, but rather over the entire periphery of the building. In this way, a building or an engineered structure that meets the requirements of earthquake-resistant material is produced while enabling multi-story buildings or high-rise structures to be constructed.

The following figures illustrate other embodiments of the invention and the implementation thereof. FIG. 6 illustrates an element 100 with the overall shape of a rectangular polyhedron like element 1, but in which gutters 23, 24 have been arranged in order to allow for the passage of conduits and technical ducts. These gutters 23, 24 are arranged in the main body of the element 100, i.e., in the EPS and are then covered with OSB sheets similarly to the element 1.

FIG. 7 shows an element 200 in the form of an arched rectangular polyhedron. Such a shape of elements 200 makes it possible to produce arched wall portions, e.g., an arched wall or a balcony.

It will readily be understood that the examples of FIGS. 6 and 7 are not limitative, as numerous geometric shapes can be achieved by virtue of the ease of machining the constituent materials of the elements.

FIG. 8 shows a wall portion S composed of a plurality of elements 300 having two non-parallel faces, the other faces being parallel. In this case, the shape of the elements 300 is frustoconical, which, as can be seen from FIG. 8, makes it possible to produce walls constituting towers or silos, or, more generally, arch-shaped or vaulted walls, depending on the final position occupied in the construction by the assembled elements 300.

FIG. 9 shows a wall portion D constituting a dome. Here, the elements 400 have four nonparallel faces. In other words, they have the overall configuration of a corner. As will readily be understood, whether in FIG. 8 or 9, the elements 300 and 400 are composed of a main body made of EPS that is covered on all sides by an OSB sheet. The elements 300, 400 are adhered to one another before being covered by at least one cladding sheet.

FIG. 10 shows the embodiment of a supporting member O, such as a beam with elements 1. Thirty-eight elements 1 form the beam O here, the latter being in the form of a rectangular polyhedron with a square cross section. The thirty-eight elements 1 are divided into three stacked rows. Rectangular OSB sheets 25 to 28B provide cladding and define the four faces of the member O. The central row R has no element 1 in the central part, thus providing a passage for a conduit or a technical duct. In other words, the row R comprises eight elements here, namely the two rows above and below the row R which, in turn, comprise fifteen elements each. Each row is separated from the adjacent row, i.e., the row located below and/or above it, by an internal cladding sheet 28A, 28B. Internal and external cladding is thus provided to the beam O by the sheets 25 to 28B, which contributes to the production of a honeycomb structure. Alternatively, there are also fifteen elements 1 to form the row R, in which case the beam O is solid.

It is assumed that the central passage formed in the row R continues along the entire length of the beam O between the two ends. Alternatively, the number of elements per row is different. Such a member can be used as a pylon, supporting column, or lintel in different types of buildings and structures.

FIG. 11 shows another embodiment of two members T that are similar to the member O of FIG. 10 in their individual embodiment. In addition to the axial passage along the length of each member T, like in the member O, each of the two members T is provided here with a transverse passage at substantially mid-span. Such a configuration makes it possible to combine two members T at right angles so as to preserve the end openings of the central passages of the two members when they are adhered to one another at right angles.

In other embodiments that are not depicted, the supporting members are H-shaped, tube-shaped, or the like.

For the construction of a building, with or without floors, the shape and the number of elements required for the construction are defined beforehand by joint layout. The elements are assembled at the factory, taken to the site, and assembled on site through adhesion in order to first form parts of the building which, when connected together, make up the building. It should be noted that, with elements according to the invention, the frames, roofs, terraces, and floors are formed by only the assembled elements. Similarly, such a building has no lintels. These are no longer necessary, since the openings are delimited by the absence of elements in certain areas of the walls.

In order to facilitate the identification and thus the assembly of the elements, they are provided with a marking that enables them to be identified. Advantageously, this is a bar code. Alternatively, other marking means such as a color code, for example, can be used either in combination with the bar code or not. Insofar as the main body of each element, taken separately, has a high shear strength and there is a rigid zone formed by the adhesion of at least two sheets that are made of material with a high tensile strength between each main body, a wall is obtained, whether vertical or not, or part of the building or engineered structure, that behaves like a honeycomb structure with solid cells. De facto, the building or the engineered structure as a whole also behaves like a honeycomb structure. As a result, homogeneous behavior is achieved throughout the building. In particular, the expansion phenomena occur over the entire building or engineered structure and not individually on this or that part of the building. In other words, in the case of a multi-story building, each floor is itself structural. Such behavior of the building enables it to constitute an earthquake-resistant structure.

Alternatively, it is possible to deliver the main body and the sheets that cover it separately, in which case the adhering of these components to form an element is performed on site. In another embodiment, the sheets are preassembled, for example in the form of folded boxes. They are shipped with a minimum footprint in this form, for example by container. At or near the site, the main body is shaped, introduced into the volume that is defined between the sheets in an unfolded configuration, and adhered. Such a solution makes it possible to transport the elements to the site with a minimum of transport constraints. The main body of EPS is made on site, for example from recycled polystyrene. Such a solution is particularly attractive for the construction of buildings or engineered structures in areas that are difficult to access and/or have limited industrial infrastructure. 

1. A method for assembling a set of construction elements (1; 100; 200; 300; 400), the outer walls (3 to 8) of each element (1; 100; 200; 300; 400) defining a receiving volume of a main body (2) having the shape of a polyhedron with at least two parallel faces (9 to 14) and occupying the entirety of the receiving volume, with the main body (2) being made of a rigid insulating material formed by expanded polystyrene or EPS having a density of at least 10 kg/m³, with each of the faces (9 to 14) of the main body (2) being completely covered by at least one sheet (3 to 8, 15, 16; 20; 25 to 28B) made of a wood-based material, and with each sheet (3 to 8) being adhered to the face (9 to 14) of the main body (2) receiving it, characterized in that it comprises at least the following steps: a) assembling two complementary external faces (3 to 8) of two construction elements (1; 100; 200; 300; 400) by adhesion, b) continuing the assembly carried out in step a) by adhering other faces (3 to 8) of the elements (1; 100; 200; 300; 400) to complementary external faces (3 to 8) of other construction elements (1; 100; 200; 300; 400) until a predefined portion (P; M, S, D, O, T) of a building or engineered structure is obtained, c) adhering sheets (15, 16; 20; 25 to 28B), so-called cladding sheets, made of a wood-based material to at least a portion of the coplanar faces (3 to 8; 17, 18; 19) of the elements (1; 100; 200; 300; 400) assembled in the preceding steps, d) repeating steps a) to c) until the predefined portion (P, M, S, D, O, T) of the building or engineered structure is obtained.
 2. The method as set forth in claim 1, characterized in that, after step d), in an additional step e), a sheet (21) of a protective and/or decorative coating is adhered to at least one of the faces (20) of the portion (M) of the building or engineered structure produced.
 3. The method as set forth in claim 1, characterized in that, in step c), the cladding sheets (15, 16; 20; 25 to 28B) are adhered to the coplanar faces (3 to 8; 17, 18; 19) of the assembled elements (1; 100; 200; 300; 400) such that the connecting joints between two assembled elements (1; 100; 200; 300; 400) are never aligned with the connecting joints of two abutting cladding sheets (15, 16; 20; 25 to 28).
 4. The method as set forth in claim 1, characterized in that each wood-based sheet (3 to 8, 15, 16; 20; 25 to 28B) is a sheet having a thickness of at least 5 mm and made of strips of wood called Oriented Strand Board (OSB) or plywood.
 5. The method as set forth in claim 1, characterized in that at least one gutter (23, 24) is formed in the main body of at least one element (100), the gutter defining a passage for conduits and technical ducts.
 6. A building or engineered structure, at least a portion (P; M; S; D; O; T) of which is made with at least three construction elements (1; 100; 200; 300; 400) assembled according to the inventive method of assembly, characterized in that the elements (1; 100; 200; 300; 400) are assembled so as to define a honeycomb structure with solid cells (1; 100; 200; 300; 400), the outer walls of the honeycomb structure being defined by the cladding sheets (15, 16; 20; 25 to 28B). 